The present invention is directed generally to the field of telecommunications and, more particularly, to Internet-telephony communications.
For years, consumers have contacted businesses via telephone, oftentimes after accessing the business""phone number from the yellow pages. The caller is typically left with no record of the phone call unless the business is located out of the caller""s local calling area, requiring a toll call by the caller, a record of which subsequently appears on the caller""s telephone bill. This, however, is the only information about the business contacted that is automatically recorded for the caller. Any other information regarding the phone call would either have to be memorialized by the caller or forever lost.
With the advent and exponential growth of the Internet in recent years, many businesses have established Internet Web sites as a way of gaining greater exposure to consumers. Accordingly, consumers have at their disposal avenues other than telephony through which they may contact businesses. Consumers, through a company""s Website, may access information concerning, for example, the business""location(s), history and products/services. In addition, a consumer utilizing the Internet may also contact, and correspond with, the company via electronic mail.
While the telephonic and Internet-based modes of communication described above are well known, no method exists for creating a synergistic relationship between the two media to provide consumers with increased access to businesses. Such a relationship could exploit the best features of each technology and thus be beneficial for both consumers and businesses alike. Businesses would have a better-structured, more continuous exposure to consumers. In turn, callers would have better access to businesses through media synergy.
Thus a need exists for a service that makes available an interface between telephony and the Internet, providing the caller with increased access to businesses and, in turn, giving businesses increased exposure to callers.
The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing a calling party with an opportunity to generate a web page containing information regarding a communication from the calling party to the called party, such as a business. According to one embodiment, the system includes a switch for detecting the communication from the calling party to the called party and means for communicating a message to the calling party in response to detection of the communication, the message providing the calling party with the option of generating the web page. Where, for example, the calling party is calling from a telephone device having the directory number 404-611-1111, the message may say, xe2x80x9cPrior to connecting your call, press xe2x80x981xe2x80x99 if you would like to able to go to 4046111111.abcd.com on the Internet to find additional information provided by the party you are trying to reach. If you wish to be directly connected to the partying you are trying to reach, press xe2x80x98*xe2x80x99.xe2x80x9d
The system may also include a database and a server in communication with the database for generating the web page based on data in the database, as well as means for transmitting information regarding the communication to the database when the calling party accepts the option. Thus, if the calling party accepts the web page option, information regarding to the call, such as, for example, the calling party directory number, the called party directory number, and the date and time of the call, is transmitted to the database. Thus, the calling party may then access the personalized web page at the URL 4046111111.abcd.com. The web page may include this information, plus additional information provided by the called party, such as URL links to web sites associated with the called party or web coupons.
In addition, to secure privacy of the calling party""s web page, the message may prompt the calling party to enter a PIN and/or a user ID. Accordingly, when accessing the personalized web page, the customer would be required to enter the PIN and/or user ID, and the server would include information associated only with the PIN and/or user ID in the web page.
The method, according to one embodiment, includes detecting the communication from the calling party to the called party, communicating a message to the calling party in response to detection of the communication, the message providing the calling party with the option of generating the web page, transmitting information regarding the communication to a database when the calling party accepts the option, and generating the web page based on the information stored in the database.
Accordingly, the present invention provides, consumers with convenient access to additional information associated with their telephone calls. The present invention may also be used to provide a web-based call log for consumers. In addition to these consumer-based benefits, the present invention also provides businesses with another advertising channel. These and other benefits of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description hereinbelow.